What's in a Name?
by Aspera
Summary: Jumping on the AO baby train. OMG R&R plz!11!


**A/N:** No babies were harmed during the writing of this fic. I don't know what possessed me, really.

**Rating:** T

**Disclaimer:** These characters belong to Dick Wolf, etc, etc.

* * *

"It's goddamn hot out there," Olivia said, coming into the squad room. She smiled when she saw Alex sitting there.

"Tell me about it," the blonde moaned. "They sent me home because we had no air."

The air conditioning in Alex's office was broken, and due to her impending due date, everyone felt it was best if the lovely ADA didn't sit in the sweltering heat all afternoon. So, Alex had waddled on down to spend the afternoon with her lover and soon to be co-parent at the 16th precinct.

"You don't look like you're at home, Allie," Olivia teased, stepping behind Alex to rub her shoulders.

"This was closer," Alex said, letting out a sigh as Olivia's thumbs kneaded into her aching muscles.

"Well," Olivia said, pulling a chair up beside the one Alex was splayed in. "We just finished up some witness interviews, Munch and Fin are out on a case, Elliot's at a counseling session, I think. So…just you and me…what should we do?" Olivia grinned lecherously.

"Ollie, I'm just not up for sex on Cragen's desk right now. I feel like a cow."

"Get your mind out of the gutter, Allie!" Olivia exlaimed. "I was thinking about baby names!"

"Oh, okay," Alex agreed tentatively. They'd been avoiding this subject for a while, as choosing a name was somehow much harder than putting away serial rapists.

Olivia pulled a tiny notebook out of her desk. "Now, I've got some ideas," she said, flipping through a few pages. "Maria, Nicki, Ella—no, wait, not Ella…Emma; of course there's always Ashley."

Alex shook her head slightly. "Could we not name it after an abused kid? That might be bad luck or someth—ah, ah!" she shrieked.

"Oh no, Allie, are you in labor?" Olivia quickly got to her feet. "Somebody call a bus!"

"No, Ollie, no. I'm just—ah! Having a craving!" Alex managed to get out.

"What are you craving, sweetie?" Olivia placed a comforting hand on Alex's protruding belly.

"Lentils!" Alex said emphatically. "Quick, call Mesa Grill."

"But Allie, Mesa Grill doesn't serve lentils."

"The chef is filming in Las Vegas this week, so they're running a special," Alex said through gritted teeth.

Olivia didn't have time to ponder how her lover knew the owner of Mesa Grill; Alex was about to chew a hole through her lip. She reached for the phone.

And indeed, the Cabot name held sway ("That's right, it's for Alexandra Cabot. Yes, the Cabots of _Boston_.") The lentil dish was delivered within ten minutes, which was nothing short of a miracle in Manhattan. Olivia perused a magazine while Alex inhaled her second lunch.

"So, what do you think?" Olivia asked.

"Their lentils are fabulous," Alex answered, leaning back contentedly.

"No, Allie, about a _name_," Olivia said, grinning.

"Oh," Alex furrowed her brow in thought. "I really like Oliver." She looked deep into Olivia's chocolate orbs.

"Allie, it's a _girl_, remember?"

"Oh, right."

"I think Gisele is a pretty name," Olivia continued.

Alex narrowed her eyes. She leaned over (insomuch as she could, considering she was the size of a whale) to where Olivia was examining a full-page spread in _Vogue_.  
"Ollie!" she wailed. "We're having a baby in a month, and you're drooling over a German supermodel! I can't believe this! Have you seen my brochure for the single gay parents' support group?"

"Allie, sweetie, relax. She's actually Brazilian." Alex shot her a murderous glare. "I mean…I just think it's gorgeous—a gorgeous name" (Please never find that life size poster in the back of my closet, Olivia prayed).

Alex looked down at her own magazine, the latest issue of _People_. "What about Angelina?" She said innocently.

Olivia rolled her eyes. "She's marrying Brad, Alex. Everyone knows that. Get over it, already."

(Right, thought Alex, and whose _drool_ was it all over that last issue?)

"Hmm, well," the lawyer tried again. "We could name her after my best friend, Serena. I bet that would make her really happy."

"Yeah, but how would you tell?" Olivia quipped.

"Good point."

"Besides, Serena was also my abusive alcoholic mother. Did you know I almost got married when I was 16 to get away from her?"

"Oh, Ollie, to a _man_? I'm so sorry," Alex said, touching the brunette's arm.

Olivia's eyes got shiny, but she managed to shrug off her despondency. "Hey, we could name her after _my_ best friend, Casey."

Just then they heard a CRASH! and a BANG! as the red-headed ADA came lurching out of Cragen's office.

"Might be bad karma," Alex protested.

"You've been watching too much Grey's Anatomy," Olivia complained.

"Hey Liv," Casey said as she headed toward the door. "I lost the Peterson trial. Just thought you should know."

"But you had three eye witnesses!"

"Yeah, well, you know how these things go," Casey shrugged. "Anyway, I'm late for my softball game, so I'll see you later." She rushed out of the precinct.

Alex caught Olivia's gaze and raised an eyebrow. Olivia didn't respond, just lowered her eyes, looking somewhat sheepish.

Both women sat in silence for a few minutes, lost in thought.

"I know," Olivia broke the silence. "How about…" "Abbie" they said simultaneously.

"Abbie?" Alex said in a clipped tone. "Did you have a _thing_ with _Abbie_?"

"Um, ah, I, uh," Olivia stammered. "Hey," she said, clearing her head. "Did _you_ have a _thing_ with Abbie?"

"Um, well," Alex blushed to the roots of her hair. "Okay, not Abbie."

Olivia nodded her agreement.

"There's always Heather," Olivia threw out half-heartedly. "We've got the book already."

Suddenly, a howl shook the entire room.

"Allie, what's wrong? Do you hate the name Heather? Do you need more lentils?"

"No, I don't need any lentils. For Christ's sake, Ollie, I'm in labor!"

"But, it's a month early…and we don't have a name picked out yet!" wailed Olivia.

Just then Elliot strolled into the room. He was whistling a happy tune, a clear indication that he'd had a good therapy session. "What's going on?" he asked, surveying the chaos around him.

"Allie's in labor!" Olivia shrieked. "Call a bus!"

"Don't worry, I've done this before," Elliot reassured her.

Olivia had never before been so grateful to have a partner with four kids. Suddenly, a thought struck her. She locked eyes with Alex, who nodded and smiled before succumbing to another painful contraction.

* * *

Olivia sat beside Alex on the hospital bed as they cradled their tiny bundle. Both looked up as Cragen, Munch, Fin, Elliot, Casey, and Serena, who had all been eagerly awaiting this day, filed into the room. 

"Hey everyone," Olivia said, as Alex was too overcome with emotion to speak. "We'd like you to meet our daughter—Ellie."

Everyone nodded and smiled and cooed at the little baby.

"We named her after you, Elliot," Olivia said a little shyly.

Elliot's eyes filled with tears, because he'd been working on letting out his emotions ("You could take a lesson from your partner," Dr. Hendricks had said). "You have no idea how much this means to me," he said as the tears streamed down his cheeks. "Kathy was such a meanypants. We named a kid after her, but when we finally had a boy, she wouldn't let me name him after me! It wasn't fair!"

"I know, Elliot," Olivia soothed. "But you can be Ellie's godfather, and it will be almost like she's your kid, too."

Cragen, Munch, Fin, Casey, and Serena all left, and eventually Elliot, too, went home, because he was going to have the kids that weekend. Only Allie, Ollie, and little Ellie remained. They obviously couldn't go anywhere, because they didn't have a stroller. Of course, Alex and Olivia had been doing their research and "Baby Bjorn" was second on their list of things to get, right after "Breast Pump".

And once they got that Baby Bjorn, little Ellie stayed strapped right to Allie's or Ollie's chest day in and day out, except for those occasions when they—ahem—made use of Cragen's desk.


End file.
